University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, December 6, 1988
Sports
9
Cubs trade Palmeiro in nine-player swap
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Rafael Palmeiro, the second-best hitter in the National League last season, went to the Texas Rangers in the big deal of day while Hank Aaron verbally sparred with Commissioner Peter Uberroth at baseball's winter meetings yesterday.
The Rangers made the only two trades, including a nine-player swap with the Chicago Cubs that included Palmeiro and five left-handed pitchers. Texas also got infielder Bobby Meacham from the New York Yankees for outfielder Bob Brower in an exchange of reserves.
Along with Palmeiro, the Cubs also sent left-handed pitcher Jamie Moyer and Drew Hall to Texas. The Rangers received left pitchers Mitch Williams, Paul Kilgus and Steve Wilson, infielder Curtis Wilkerson and two minor league players to be named later
Dale Murphy continued to attract major attention. San Diego and Houston joined the New York Mets as the latest teams to set up meetings with Atlanta about Murphy. The Mets, meanwhile, confirmed they were approached by Los Angeles about second baseman Wally Backman.
Aaron and Ueberroth, however, were in complete disagreement. Aaron disputed Ueberroth's assertion of increased minority opportunities, saying it was "the same old bull. just dressed up a little bit."
The Philadelphia Phillies again tried to reach agreement with Mike Schmidt on a one-year contract, having come close Sunday night.
"There has been progress, but not enough in the front office and management level." Aaron, executive of the Atlanta Braves, said yesterday.
Uetherber opened the major league portion of the meetings with his fifth and final "State of the Game" speech yesterday morning.
"There are more minorities being interviewed, but I don't see them getting the job," he said. "You Joe Morgan, Bill Robinson, Billysee McIntosh. They're all qualified and deserve more just an interview."
Ueberroth, who will be succeeded by Bart Giamatti on April 1, said minority hiring had risen from 2 percent to 10 percent in two years but admitted he was disappointed there weren't more minority managers, general managers and team public relations workers.
The commissioner said criticism that many of the new minorities are working in clerical jobs "is a false-hood."
But Aaron and Bob Watson, a black recently hired as assistant general manager of the Houston Astros, dissuaded that.
Freeman West guards Milt Newton. The team was practicing Monday at Allen Field House.
"It's not a falsehood." Aaron insisted. "Most of those jobs are in the ticket department, and that's about it."
Watson said the minority employees "are mostly window dressing."
Palmeiro, 24, sparkled in his first full major league season. He batted .307 with 10 at doubles, eight home runs and also had a 20-game hitstreet strike.
Grieve said it would be determined in spring training where Palmeiro would play, either at first base or in the outfield
"We were looking for an offensive player and we feel like we got our cake and can eat it, too." Texas general manager Tom Grieve said.
The Cubs and Rangers each have built young pitching staffs, which are now reshuffled.
Boston starter Bruce Hurst's situation remained in limbo. The San Diego Padres are said to be the favorites to get the free-agent pitcher although Boston is expected to bid hard to re-sign him.
"I don't know when he's going to make a decision," Padres general manager Jack McKeon said. "We're looking for a pitcher and he could be the one. But if not, I'll go get someone else."
There was plenty of talk about possible trades. Murphy interested several teams and Houston and San Diego joined the New York Mets as well, but the fans to arrange meetings. The Yankees also wanted to talk to Atlanta, probably about shortstops Jeff Blauer and Andres Thomas.
West excels despite low court time
Kansan sportswriter
By Arvin Donley
The number of minutes played does not always measure the worth of a basketball player to his team
Take Kansas junior forward Freeman West for example.
But West has made the most of his limited playing time.
The 6-foot-5 West ranks next to last on the Jayhawks in minutes played, averaging 15.4 per game. Only freshman guard Sean Tuncall, who has yoked to play and is excellent on defense, ranks below West in court time.
In five games, West ranks fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10 points per game, and is second in rebounding, grabbing six per game. His average field goal percentage, hitting on 19 of 27 shots for a sizzling 70 percent.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said West had been a pleasant surprise for the Jayhawks.
"Freeman has really given us a lift about three games in a row now coming off the bench." Williams said, "He has been competing inside and he's not an inside player. But he really has a knack of getting his hands on the basketball."
West has been forced to to play inside because he is the Jayhawks' fourth tallest player. He was recruited by former Kansas coach Larry Brown out of Paris (Texas) Junior College as a small forward.
In every game this season, West has had to guard a player several inches taller than himself.
"I'd rather play (small forward) but I'll play wherever Coach Williams thinks I can help us win," West said. "I'm trying to play as bard as I can and the best that I can do is smile at you, the coach is happy, I be happy."
"Even though they're a lot bigger and a lot longer than I am, I try to use my quickness and get in front of them to get the rebound." West said. "On offense I try to use the same amount of speed as you shoot the ball a lot higher than I do when I'm posting up a guy smaller than me."
Besides changing position,
West has also had to change roles
this season. He is now coming off
the bench instead of starting.
"At first it was a big shock to me because I had been a starter every year since my sophomore year in high school," he said. "But that's pushing me a lot more because when I do get in I'm trying to prove myself by executing the way coach wants me to and playing aggressive defense. I want to prove that I belong here."
hawks defend their NCAA title this season. The NCAA's decision to prohibit Kansas from defending its title disappointed West.
West chose Kansas over Kansas State, Texas Tech and Baylor and was expecting to help the Jay-
"It's something you always think about," West said. "I feel like people have a bad image of us. Like when we were in Alaska (the fans) made us out to be the bad ones. We didn't really try that at all."
"But we're just going to try to win all the games we can this season and rebuild for next year. I just feel really bad for the seniors having to go out like this."
Despite the adversity the team, has endured this fall, West said he never regretted his decision to become a Jayhawk.
"Even through all the bad things that happened — the investigation and the probation — I'm happy with my decision to go to school here," said West, a communications major.
"It was a pretty close decision between KU and K-State. I chose Kansas because it's such a great academic institution and I wanted good education and then be successful on the basketball court."
Watcke: Proving his track record
Kansan sportswriter
By Jeremy Kohn
Kansas sportswriter
when crag Watche feels himself slowing down during a 10-kilometer cross country race, he keeps on running and tries to shut out the pain.
Kansas senior Craig Watchek hopes to qualify for the NCAA track and field championships in the 1500 and 5000 meter runs.
The South Bend, Ind., senior and Kansas men's cross country and distance track captain, said, "There is a certain point in a race where it is real easy to give up. If you just focus your mind for that 10 seconds when you think about dropping out, it's like crossing a bridge. Once you make that commitment, it's a lot easier to carry it through."
And except for sitting out the 1986 spring track season because of an injury, Watchee has been running continuously for Kansas' indoor and outdoor teams. When he began cross country in 1985, only two seniors were on the team.
"I think we all grew up fast that year," Watche said. "My first year started off kind of rocky because I had expected to come to college and run behind a lot guys. But when I got out, I had to take a leadership role."
In Kansas 'first in room meet this season, Watkee finished third in the 3000 meter run at 8 minutes 20 seconds. In Utah, Watkee will run the 1500 and the 5000.
Bob Timmons, former Kansas men's cross country and track coach, said it was difficult for any under-classman to take a leadership role on the team. "He continued with the team, he showed a talent for leading — and running."
When the Kansas men's cross country team took ninth at the 1983 District V Championship, Watkein finished 223rd. The team placed sixth this season in district, and Watkein finished 11th, cutting 2:09 off his time compared to the 1985 10-kilometer race.
"It was a disappointment not to qualify for nationalists, but at the same time I finished off my senior cross country season with the best race of my career. It wasn't my best time ever, but I feel like I competed right up to the end, and that is important to me." Watche said.
However, he said his most memorable cross country race was an 11th
However, Watkee missed qualifying this year for the NCAA championship meet at the district meet.
His habit had been to lead in the
Timmons said Watche's OSU race was an example of relatively easy running, or a 4:40 average mile, at the race's beginning and midpoint. The latter half of the race was a success because Watche had enough strength to turn on the speed for a strong finish.
place finish behind Arkansas" Joe Falcon at the Oklahoma State Invitational last year. Falcon went on to win the NCAA championship.
beginning and kill people off." Timmons said. But Watchee said he had followed Timmons' advice by abandoning this tactic at the OSU meet.
"At the half-way point, I was probably in 20th place and had to work my way up the pack," Watchet said. "It was the first time I really showed myself I had the confidence to compete at the Division I level.
“It’s sort of like a mental game, fooling your body that you really aren’t running that fast. You can see people in front of you, and you can almost latch onto them. Running off their shoulder, a few stirds back, takes a lot less effort than being in front, setting the pace.
"It's real easy (to quit) when you start to slow down just a little bit. If you do that too much, then you are almost afraid to win that race, or afraid to make that surge and try to win."
But Watchek hasn't been afraid to make ardous efforts to win since his senior year in high school, said Bruce Konstant, Watchek's former coach at St. Joseph's High School in South Bend.
Konstant, currently an investment banker in Grand Rapids, Mich., said Watteke placed 29th in Indiana's state cross country championship in 1984, and won the national season. Watteke won the state championship in the two mile run in 9:05.
Becoming a champion included two-a-day workouts of distance road-work, interval track workouts and bearing up to Konstant's desire to condition Watchee into a state champion.
"The kid basically paid the price to be a champion," Konstant said in a telephone interview yesterday.
"Craig realized I wasn't there to just be his friend; I was there to (shake him around) a little bit. I told Craig I'll do whatever it takes to make you champion if you do whatever it takes."
Track coach expects strong indoor season
Bv Ken Winford
Kansan sportswriter
Although it's early in the season, Kansas assistant track coach Mike McGurew has all indications pointed toward a track season for the Javahawks.
McGuire got a good look at the Jayhawks Saturday in the Kansas Open at Anschutz Sports Pavilion where the Kansas men's team won five events, and the women's team won five. Central Missouri State, Wichita State and the Askia Track Club of Wichita also competed.
"We were real happy with the performances of the people that did run," McGuire said. "We had several that weren't able to compete because we didn't know for the first meet coming off a vacation, it was a pretty strong showing."
One of the performances McGuire singled out was that of senior David Bond, who won the triple jump competition with a jump of $50.9^{3} \mathrm{~a}$.
"David did a great job considering how early in the year it is," he said. "I think his performance is something he can build on."
Although his jump was good enough to win, Bond said he should have done better.
"To me, that jump didn't quite cut it," Bond said. "It's hard early in the season. The first meet you don't even know what to expect."
Bond said he was happy to finish the meet uniinured.
"My first year I broke my ankle in our first meet," he said. "I broke my other ankle last year. The swelling still hasn't gone all the way down. Right now I'm just hoping I can stay healthy."
Bond said he thought he could jump from the floor to triple jump that he avoided injuries.
"Right now, I would think a jump of 56 or 57 feet was a good jump."
bond said. "That kind of jump would probably win at nationals. I'm hoping to be a little above 57 feet at the end of this year."
On the women's team, McGuire said Julie Howerton ran well in winning the 800 meter run.
Howerton, a Topea junior, said that she was happy with her time of 2:16:9 but that she still had a lot of work to do.
"It was a good time to start out the season," Howerton said. "But to be competitive in the Big Eight, I'm going to bring down that time a little bit."
The qualifying time for this year's national indoor track meet at Indiapolis, Ind. is 2:09. Howerton said he was the only one to finish in March was her ultimate goal.
"I have quite a few seconds to take off if I'm going to qualify for national," she said. "The workouts this year are a lot better and I feel much stronger. It comes down to working hard in practice and maintaining where it is at now over the Christmas break."
The indoor season runs through the indoor national meet, which will be March 10-11. McGourd said it was going to build on the long season.
"No matter whether you're talking about a sprinter, a pole vaulter or a long-distance runner, we're trying to set marks now and work on improving on that," he said. "Early in the season, it's a little like boot camp in that a lot of running and conditioning is involved."
Other Kansas winners Saturday were Steve Heffernan, one mile-run; Mike Miller, 400 meters; Johnny Brackins, 200 meter dash; Cam Miller, pole vault; and Janice Turner, 400 meters.
The Kansas women won the one mile relav with a time of 4:06.28.
KU JV LOSSES IN OVERTIME: 'The Kansas junior varsity men's basketball team lost 75-68 in overtime to the Kansas State, last night at Allen Field House.
Sports Briefs
Junior Brad Kampschroeder led the hawks in scoring with 15 points.
KU'S BRADY HONORED: Kansas junior guard Lisa Braddy was named Big Eight Conference women's basketball player-of-the week yesterday.
Lady Jayhawk Dial Classic. Kansas won the tournament by defeating Oral Roberts University and No. 7 Iowa.
Turning pro tempting offer for Falbo
The five-foot-eight Kansas City, Kan, native scored 30 points and 14 assists in the Dial Classic.
week yesterday
Braddy was named tournament most valuable player at last week's
MU'S IRVIN HONORED: Missouri's Byron Irvin, who scored 28 of his 33 points after the half in a 91-74 double overtime victory over the team he named basketball player of the week in the Big Eight Conference.
By Jeff Euston
Kansan sportswriter
The money and glamour of the professional tennis tour hasn't been enough to lure John Falbo, Kansas' No. 1 singles player, away from Lawrence. At least not yet.
Falbo, a 19-year-old sophomore from Charleston, W.Va., won the Big Eight Conference men's singles championship as a freshman last spring. Though Falbo said the pro tour was tempting, he's planning to play for the Jayhawks this spring. Beyond that, Falbo's plans still are uncertain.
"At the end of next semester I may stay in school," he said. "There's a good possibility I'll
stay. I don't know.
stay I can ride.
"Maybe I'll turn (pro) after next semester. It depends on how I mature mentally. I'll be ready physically."
Because of the talent at the professional level, the mental part of the game often is what makes the difference between good players and average players.
One example of that, Falbo said, is 18-year-old Andre Agassi, the third-ranked player in the world.
Falbo and Assgi were roommates and doubles partners at Nick Bollettieri's training center in Florida about four years ago.
"People's games mature differently," said Agass, who was in Kansas City recently for an exhibition match against Ivan Lendl. "John was able to play at one time, but my game developed quicker."
Agassi turned pro just after his 16th birthday, but Falbo chose to go to college.
Falbo said Agassi's mental toughness was the reason for his success.
"That's why Andre does so well," he said. "Physically, he's good. He hits the ball hard. But mentally, he's very mature. That's what he meant about people's games maturing. When he turned pro, he knew he could play with the big guys."